From LL's new song to Issa Rae's Web series, the word is the new "ghetto," and it's everywhere.

The origin of the dance and term is largely given to Shreveport, La. (aka “Ratchet City”), where the word has been in circulation since the late 1990s. Local label Lava House Records released “Do Da Ratchet” by Lava House, featuring Baton Rouge, La., artist Lil Boosie, in 2005 to set the elbow-jerking dance moves to music; and a remix featuring Baton Rouge’s Webbie, released the next year, brought the word out of the immediate area.

“People try to categorize the term ‘ratchet’ and try to make it something ghetto or something negative, but I just think it’s letting loose a little bit,” says Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of New York’s Power 105 radio morning show The Breakfast Cluband a Southern native. “Anything young, wild and free. ‘Ratchet’ is an old term that I first heard from Lil Boosie and Webbie and that whole camp. The word was kind of like ‘crunk,’ and before crunk music, there was the term ‘crunk.’ “

Charlamagne often talks about “intelligent ratchetness” on The Breakfast Club. “Just like Kanye [West] coined the phrase ‘sophisticated ignorance,’ I think there is intelligent ratchetness and ignorant ratchetness,” he says. “The fighting on WorldStar[HipHop.com] or getting a tattoo of a pit bull on your face — that’s ratchetness, but ignorant ratchetness. Intelligent ratchetness is going out, getting drunk on Remy Martin, but taking a car service home. There’s nothing too crazy going on.

“I think everybody has to have a little ratchetness in them,” he adds. “The yin and the yang between ratchetness and righteousness. I think when you have just the right amount of both, it’s a great balance. Last night is a perfect example: I went from a strip club to a charity event called Girl Power, all in the span of two hours.”